US charges WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange with publishing classified documents

In a case with significant First Amendment implications, the US filed new charges Thursday against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, accusing him of violating the Espionage Act by publishing secret documents containing the names of confidential military and diplomatic sources.

The Justice Department’s 18-count superseding indictment alleges that Assange directed former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in one of the largest compromises of classified information in US history.

It says the WikiLeaks founder, currently in custody in London , damaged national security by publishing documents that harmed the US and its allies and aided its adversaries.